Laws of Physics & Life

How is it possible the world we experience has life-hospitable conditions by chance? The strong nuclear and electromagnetic forces balance each other out to hold nuclei together in a certain diameter range so that atoms can form without imploding. If those rules worked at even slightly different strengths, atoms would not exist! Why is there matter instead of nothing? How come gravity holds planets and stars together, but is not strong enough to turn the entire universe into a big black hole? The laws of the universe are delicately balanced in such an improbable way.

It is inevitable for an experienced universe such as ours to have life-hospitable laws. There are only two possibilities for a universe: either its laws of physics are hospitable or inhospitable to life. Although a universe with hospitable laws is extremely unlikely, no conscious life could experience a universe of inhospitable laws. The only experienceable laws must be hospitable. Since we are conscious and experiencing the universe, the only possibility is that our universe has hospitable, balanced laws regardless of their improbability.

The improbability of the laws of physics being hospitable for life means our mere existence is a miracle, a million yahtzees in a row. Life is so beautifully improbable that it is insane for humans to squabble, though that is human nature. Here is a toast to the universe being hospitable to life and to life existing.